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Maca

3 stages from Quechua to English.

Today it means a hardy Andean root vegetable, dried and used as a nutritional supplement

Where does the word "maca" come from? It comes from Quechua maka, passing through Spanish before entering English (1990s).

maka→maca→maca

Quechua · pre-1500s

"a starchy Andean root vegetable"

named the hardy root vegetable grown at extreme Andean altitudes

Spanish · 1600s

"an Andean root crop grown at high altitude"

adopted by Spanish colonists in the high Andes for the same root crop

English · 1990s

"a nutrient-dense Andean root marketed as a health supplement"

entered English through the global market for Andean 'superfoods'

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